Total Garbage: A Messy Dive into Trash, Waste, and Our World

In seven chapters, Donnelly talks trash, addressing questions including “Where does our garbage come from?”; “Why do we make so much garbage?”; and “What can we learn from our garbage?” The book—filled with statistics from before 2020—touches on the usual topics, but also on archeology, contemporary art, environmental racism, history, upcycling and downcycling, and corporate efforts to keep consumers buying and using plastic. “If you look hard enough, you’ll find money at the root of most of our waste problems,” reads one characteristically incisive takeaway. Occasional line drawings from Hendrix, cast in teal, break up the text and lighten the mood with gentle humor. Despite the seriousness of the world’s garbage predicament, the text’s message remains one of encouragement, offering creative examples of different communities’ solutions and urging readers not to give up hope. Ages 8–12. (Mar.)